"Maybe I do need a little break..." Premidas sighed to himself as he sat down on a lightly snow-coated bench. He brushed off the cold substance with his hands, the icy making them sting and redden with pain. His red eyes watched as the thick snow flakes gently triwled to the ground, amassing on the ground, all blending in together as if they were never apart, always one. He leaned his head back with a sigh through his nose. Stretching out he thought of what Kanni said.
His mood...It was really a strange and confusing thing, wasn't it? But he couldn't hide forever, and especially not from her. That he knew, but he decided to prolongue it as long as possible. He didn't want to confess before he really had to, until he had no other choice. His hands balled into fists as his muscles tensed when he flexed them for some warmth, his skin prickled and trembling beneath his clothes. Kanni only cares about you, and there aren't many people who do, he told himself. Don't scare her off because you're not experienced with getting warmth from other people. And Alice and Kalbe care too...Why do you want to shake off what you've always wanted? Man, I really am strange, aren't I?
Premidas plowed his fingers through his snow white hair and rubbed a ruby eye. The flakes on his cheek greatly contrasted from his sun-tinted skin, and soon melted from the body heat and trickled down his chin. Soon he'd be drenched, but he didn't care. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, letting random thoughts run through his mind. Was there nothing he could do right?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Damn, stupid...-" Kanni cursed the animagus heavily under her breath as she tossed her coat onto the bed, wringing out the water from her lilac hair. "Why the hell do I care so much?!" she scolded herself, scattering her things about the room, leaving her bags only half un-packed. Soon she got tired of it and stormed out the door. She was getting restless, oh so restless. She wanted to do something--craved something, something that she never was able to find, a craving she was never able to satisfy. And when you think about it, it really is an awful feeling. So the milthacti made her way through the corridors, looking for something to keep her thoughts from straying for a little while.
A sudden force rammed her shoulder, making her swerve off balance but she caught herself just in time. "Oh! Sorry!" a little girl piped as she dropped to her knees to pick up the books she had dropped. "Are you okay? Honestly, I didn't mean it!"
"It's okay, chill," Kanni's lips twitched into an amused grin. The girl looked about only thirteen and had short thick black hair, her skin very pale and her eyes tilted upward in Chinese decent. Her dark eyes were flitty and a bit nervous, as if she were expecting something to happen any second. But overall she was tall and slender and had an athletic build, and Kanni had to admit she was quite pretty.
"Excuse me, but could you tell me where the library is?" her smooth voice sounded calmed.
"Sure. Follow me." Kanni turned around and headed the other way, envisioning the huge ebony black doors which led into the sacred feeling library known to be thousands of years old, holding too many secrets that any person could ever know in three life-times. "What's your name?" she asked over her shoulder.
"Oh, uh, Oru...you?"
"Kanni. So, what house are you in?"
"'Kanni'?" Oru echoed but then quickly forced the surprise from her voice. "I'm a Tibileek, as you are."
"Oh? Do you know me?"
"Only rumors."
"Oh isn't that dandy," Kanni growled. So, her life was now on public news, was it?
"I don't beleive them."
"Huh?" The comment was un-called for and caught Kanni's complete attention, but she tried to hide it, not breaking her long stride down the dimming red-carpeted corridors.
"I said that I didn't beleive them. I've read about milthactis, and I don't beleive the rumors. Most rumors are even impossible anyways, if you look at your facts. It's sort of my hobby, classified beings. You know, shape-shifters, animagus, milthactis, horoldowns, and such."
"Oh? So maybe you can help me understand myself then."
"Possibly." Oru sighed. "So...ah, you've been a while here?"
"My second year. Your first?"
"Yes."
"So are you any 'classified being'?"
"Me? Oh, no! I'm not that lucky. I'm a normal girl with powers." Oru replied with some sarcasm. "I can manipulate anything with a medium hint of metal extracts."
"'Lucky'?" Kanni echoed. "I don't think you quite understand what you're saying there."
"Oh, but I am. I would love to be special, stand out from the rest. I've already met nine people with powers so similar to mine we could all be called the same."
"But being different isn't fun. Especially not when you're what I am."
"Why not? You have scattered powers and talents, almost no limits on what you can do, the power source of all wizards that make you up, and must only learn to control them to have full access to power every person can ever dream of.
"A milthacti's power is measured by the amount of wizards that make up her complexure. Each wizard has power, you must only see which wizards you have, how strong they were, and how many you have. Do you, by any chance, know?"
"No! How could I? if I went to real authority they might send me away or kill me."
"Yes, true. It's a wonder you and that Verae are alive. I see Clarissa is intent on protecting you even to the despense of risking her school's safety, or the authorities would have long ago hauled you off and you would have been shut away in dark cages like lab animals awaiting their fate."
"Well, you sure know how to brighten my day," Kanni felt a small prick of fear. Would that really happen to her and Alice if anyone else foudn out? Or was Oru playing with her emotions. Quickly changing the subject she was releived to see the library doors ahead. "Well, we're here. If there's anything else I can do for you, let me know, okay? I'll be around."
"Um...Is Mr. Ulthra in there? I wanted to ask him for some book recomendations. I think he ought to know for he spends most of his dead after-life in there. Also when he was alive."
Kanni rose a brow. This girl sure was well informed. Then Oru, sensing her gaze, lowered her eyes and reddened.
"You must think it suspicious for me to know so much, right? Well, I would too after I've been through-- and don't even start, I know all about the incident concerning you, Alice Black, Kaleb Agretto, and Premidas Anthen last year. But you see my father has high ranks and often knows a lot about everything, and he has me study a lot as well. And I like to learn about the magical world anyways, so I often but my nose into private places where it doesn't belong. Please tell me if I'm crossing the line, okay? I understand."
Kanni put a fist on her hip. "I'm still not sure how you know all this, but just take my advice and don't say too much when you're around Alice, the Verae; she'll get fed up with you real fast."
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't be. It's not your fault, it's just a...stressful subject for us. So don't get out of hand, okay? And no, I don't know if Ulthra is in there. Maybe you should wait for tomorrow when classes start, then you'll know for sure where he is."
"Good idea. But I think I'll have a little look around the rest of the school, okay? Thank you for all the help, Kanni."
"You're welcome. I'll see you around."
Then Oru made a little bow and headed off, soon disappearing in the herd of other students. Kanni chuckled to herself and shook her head. Now that was a girl that was going to go places, she told herself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Prem? Is that really you?" A soft voice broke Premidas from his light sleep as he sat up, finding himself cold and wet. Damn. He had fallen asleep on the bench outside and now was caked in wet snow, and his teeth were chattering, his lips a light blue. "Prem?" His eyes shifted to the female standing before him. He blinked. Was it really her?
"Tash?" he asked incredulously.
The girl smiled and eagerly nodded her head. "You remember me!" The girl was tall and slender, with pale fair skin and shining light brown eyes. Her hair was a flaming flourescent orange, falling in long sheets down her back. She wore a long light brown overcoat and a skirt, leg-warmers stretched from her black books up her bare legs to help warm them from the cold.
"Tash!" Premidas shot to his feet as the girl leaned into his arms with a tight embrace.
"I can't beleive it, after all these years, I see you again! And here!" Tash exclaimed as she pulled away from his arms, pushing a white strand from his forehead and winced at the scar he had gotten last year. He quickly pushed her hand away and smoothed his bangs over the scar again, then grinning.
"Then what the hell are you doing here?"
Tash smiled. "Well, Mr. Ulthra, a teacher here I understand, is sort of my great great grandfather. He invited me to stay a few months here. At first I didn't want to, but then he told me you were here, and one of his students, and I packed my bags!"
Premidas caught her eyes slightly waver as he cheeks grew a bit redder.
"So, why the hell are you sleeping out here? In the cold, wet, and snow?" she demanded. "You'll catch yourself a cold! And my great great grandpa wouldn't like if you missed the first of his classes!"
Premidas grinned and ruffled some snow out of his hair. "That's why I should be going in right now. Want to come? I could show you around."
"I already got a tour, but knowing you I haven't even seen the half of it."
"They only show you what they want you to see," Premidas agreed. "I'll show you all the rest." His eyes twinkled mischeviously. Tash had been his childhood friend, from age four until age ten, when his mother died, they had been together. After the accident his father had moved away and he had to leave her behind. It was miraculous to see her again, after six years, here! She may not have powers as he and all the rest, but she would stay here for a while and that was enough for him.
"Hey, Premidas, I was looking for you. I didn't think you'd freeze yourself to death-" Kanni's voice abruptly cut off when she spotted Tash. Her brows dropped as a few well-concealed expressions crossed her face but she then lightly smiled. "Oh, sorry. I didn't know you were busy. I'm sure you'll take him in and get him cleaned off and dry so he doesn't catch pnemonia, right?"
Tash regarded Kanni with the same inquiring eyes but then returned the polite smile. "Yes. Who are you? Prem's nanny?"
Kanni's jaw froze and hardened, her eyes becoming steely, the smile now pasted to her face. "No, but he sure could use a nurse, Miss." Tash now wrapped her arm around Prem's, shooting him a look.
"She a friend of yours?" the girl asked innocently enough.
"Yea. A very good one at that, so be nice," Premidas warned in a low voice.
"Well, I've got more important things to do than stand around here, so I'll catch you later Prem." Kanni turned on her heel and headed back down the path towards the school. Premidas let out the breath he'd been holding. Tash sent him a reproachful glance. "Who is she?"
"Kanni Merrane. A very good friend of mine here, along with Alice, and Kaleb."
"Ah, Kaleb. I remember him! Who is Alice?"
"Kanni and Alice both came here last year-"
"-the milthacti and the verae." Tash finished with a bit of disdain. "You like them?"
"Yes, I like all my friends, Tash." Premidas sniffed and his friend gave his arm a squeeze.
"Well, we do have to get you inside. I can feel you shivering and it's making me cold, so let's go. Honestly, I would have thought now that you're sixteen, soon to be seventeen, that you'd be able to take care of yourself and get along with out me..."
Premidas gritted his teeth as sixteen-year-old Tash tugged him along. She had always been around him, but now something was different. The way she grabbed his arm and was so familiar with him disturbed him a bit. But maybe she was just glad to be back with her friend. He shrugged. He had often lay awake when he was younger wishing he could talk to her again, confide in her again, and now he finally had the chance. What was so wrong with that?
((Kanni is still fifteen, but the next day she turns sixteen...so she ain't too far behind. XD))